You've Got an Ouch
by Stratagem
Summary: Levi comes back from an expedition with a couple injuries, and his and Hanji's two-year-old daughter thinks it's the end of the world.


Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan!

A/N: Ava is 2, Remy is 7, and Hanji and Levi aren't sure what to do with all these tears.

 **You've Got an Ouch**

It wasn't that big of a deal. Or at least Levi didn't think it was. ' _It_ ' being a minor head injury and a deep scrape on his arm plus some bruising here and there.

He'd had worse.

Some idiot Corps member right out of training had almost collided head-on with a tree or would have if Levi hadn't grabbed him. The kid had started flailing about like a complete moron, and they had both wound up hitting the tree anyways. Keeping the kid from breaking his neck had meant getting injured and spending the rest of the expedition riding in a wagon and glaring at Erwin, who wouldn't let him ride his own horse.

Stupid.

He expected some kind of reaction from his family when he got back, probably involving yelling and hugging and lots of fussing, maybe some concerned teasing from Hanji and a lot of questions from Remy. They would both be worried, but they would try to cover it up and hide it.

However, he wasn't expecting his and Hanji's two-year-old to stare at him and then burst into tears.

After hearing that the Corps was back from the expedition, Hanji had brought the kids to headquarters to meet Levi in his office. Remy and Hanji had immediately demanded to know what the bandages were all about, and he had quickly explained it the briefest detail possible, knowing all the while that Hanji would want to hear the whole story later. She wouldn't be satisfied with bare facts, she'd need to know everything.

While they all talked, Ava had stared wide-eyed at his head, but he hadn't really thought anything about it. She often stared when she was trying to figure something out.

The first indication that something might be off was when Levi reached for her and she shied away, pulling back toward her mother.

"Hey, come on, he hasn't been gone that long," Hanji said, looking a little startled. Ava had never avoided going to someone she knew who put their hands out to hold her, especially not Levi. Levi crossed his arms uncertainly, not used to being rejected by his own kid.

Ava hugged Hanji's neck and looked at Levi, her lower lip trembling. "Ow?"

Beside Levi, Remy must have realized where Ava was looking. "It's just a little ouch, Ava. He's fine." Reaching up, he poked Levi's head below the bandage. "See? He's good."

Ava was on the verge of tears, and they could all tell it. "Is ow?"

"It's not—" Levi started, but it was too late. Ava's face scrunched up right before she let out a sob.

"Oh, no, it's okay," Hanji asked as huge tears streamed down Ava's cheeks. "He's all right! Aren't you, Levi?"

"It doesn't hurt," Levi said, holding his hands up as if he could stem his daughter's tears.

She just pointed at his arm where the bandage was showing and cried harder. "Ow, ow, ow."

"Dad, you broke Ava," Remy said. But he didn't look totally calm and collected, either. He glanced up at Levi's head as if Ava's crying had made the wound worse or something. "You're really okay, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Levi said, reaching down to grip the seven-year-old's shoulder. "It's still healing, but it's going to be all right. Stop worrying."

"Tell that to Ava," Remy said.

The toddler was still crying, one hand gripping Hanji's shirt while her mother murmured quiet reassurances to her. It didn't seem to be working, though she was at least a little quieter. No more heartrending howls.

"Here." Levi gently pried Ava's hand off of Hanji and pulled her into his arms, settling her against his uninjured left arm. She went still and pressed her face into his neck, getting his shirt all wet and gross. "Ava…look at me."

Reluctantly, she lifted her head, big blue-grey eyes still filled with tears. She reached out and touched the bandage on his head with a gentle, hesitant finger. "Papa ow?"

He nodded.

"Ouch?" she said, pointing toward his bandaged arm.

"Yes. But they don't hurt anymore." Not really, at least. Both wounds barely stung at this point, and he could easily ignore it. The fact that she was upset about his injuries tugged at something in him, and he hugged her close. "So stop crying."

After a few moments of settling, along with a couple more quiet 'ow's,' Ava stopped crying altogether besides a small case of the hiccups. He was about to hand her back to Hanji when Ava leaned forward, her hands on either side of his head. Carefully for a two-year-old, she kissed the bandage on his head.

"No ow."

"Aw, much better," Hanji said, grinning as she took Ava from a stunned Levi and propped her on her hip, "Smart girl, that's mama's little medic. Next time we'll use antiseptic, though, and we go over the proper technique." She held her free hand out to Levi. "Come on, let's go home."

Yeah. Home sounded good to him.

Remy grinned as he started walking backward in front of them, heading toward the hall. "Mom said I could ask you for a puppy again when you got home, so let's go there."

Hanji pointed a finger at him. "Remy! You traitor! I said maybe you could ask him."

"I'm going to!"

"Remy!"

Levi rubbed his temple. "I lied. I think I have a headache."


End file.
